This is a long-ish post but it’s mostly videos and it won’t take long to get to the punchline. You don’t have to watch all the videos in their entirety – maybe go back and watch them in full when you’re done? They’re really good. But please get to the punchline – it may not be what you’re thinking half-way through.
I had no idea Randy Travis was a Christian. I’d never really thought about it before because he’s a famous country music singer – but it turns out that he is.
In 2003, Randy Travis recorded a worship album: Worship and Faith (Link). If you click on the link you will see that it isn’t just a country album with a couple of Christian songs on it, it’s an actual worship album. Here’s Randy singing Hillsongs’, “Open the Eyes of my Heart.” This is not a country song.
And here he is singing “Above All.” What is Randy Travis doing singing these songs? Other Country musicians sing Christian songs, but this is different.
“Amazing Grace” isn’t on that album, but here he is singing it in 2010.
I believe Randy Travis, famous as he was, was a bonafide real-live Christian in those clips. And if he was, surely his faith in Jesus should’ve kept him safe from all the distractions of fame. Surely Randy Travis would never take a wrong turn.
But he did. Randy Travis failed. That clip was from July 2010, the same year Randy Travis divorced his 1st wife.
In February 2012, he was arrested after being found drunk in a car outside a church.
In August 2012, Texas state troopers found him laying drunk and naked in a ditch. He had crashed in a construction zone and when officers tried to apprehend him he threatened their lives. He was subsequently arrested for DWI and terroristic threats against a peace officer. He pleaded guilty in January 2013.
In April, George Jones (another country singer) passed away. Here is Randy singing Amazing Grace again – only 3 months after pleading guilty to DWI and terroristic threats. You can still see his right eye is a little messed up.
What should we make of this? Should we conclude that he’s just another hypocrite – another pretender singing another Christian song at the Grand Ole Opry? Or is it possible that Randy Travis knows he is a failure – a wretch clinging to the words he was singing just 8 months after being found drunk and naked in a ditch?
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me”
That was April 2013. On July 7th, Randy Travis was admitted in critical condition to a Dallas hospital for viral cardiomyopathy. Three days later, he suffered a massive stroke.
By July 15th, he had had brain surgery and was on the road to recovery.
For over a year he continued to slowly recover, but was still unable to sing or speak, and was having difficulty walking.
By November 2014 he could walk short distances and was re-learning how to write music and play the guitar.
By 2016, he had recovered his voice and was able to perform again. And on October 16, 2016, Randy Travis, once again, sang “Amazing Grace.” This video has some extra stuff around him singing, but at 0:33 his 2nd wife does a beautiful introduction, and at 0:58 Randy sings.
Finally, the punchline …
I’m no different than Randy Travis, except he’s famous and I'm not, and his failures are different than mine. I’ve never been found drunk in a ditch, but like him, I am in desperate need of Amazing Grace. Given enough time, I am sure I could come up with 1,000 damnable offenses that should stand between me and God, but they don’t because I am a follower of Jesus Christ.
Amazing Grace.
Maybe you’ve heard the quote that says “When I die, I want to skid broadside into my grave in a cloud of smoke, used up, worn out, and screaming ‘Wow! What a life!'”
I guess I want that, too, and the way things are going, I’ll probably get it. But what I’m really looking forward to is finding myself at the pearly gates, a damaged, life-worn failure, but one who NEVER lost his faith and who NEVER stopped following Jesus, even with my 1,000 damnable offenses. And I’ll be singing a beat up version of “Amazing Grace” because, like Randy Travis, I know “Amazing Grace” is my only hope.
Yours, too.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like Randy Travis.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved (could save?) a wretch like you.
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